Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey, Last night on American Idol we found out which nine contestants would be moving into Chez Idol, but let’s be honest, we didn’t tune in to see who America kicked off. We wanted to see if “indie pop sensation” Lana Del Rey would face-plant like she did on Saturday Night Live a couple months ago.

The odds were in her favor this time, for the performance was pre-taped and it wasn’t on SNL’s notoriously awful soundstage. Find out how she fared, and who America voted off, after the jump.

If LDR and the return of Season 10’s suave Haley Reinhart weren’t enough fanfare for you, it was also Steven Tyler’s [redacted]th birthday. So his bandmate Joe Perry came out shredding and the contestants sang “Happy Birthday,” which probably cost Fox a few million in licensing fees. Check out the two coolest grandmas in the world:

Next, Lana Del Rey performed “Video Games.” Let’s talk about it! (Deep breaths everyone.) She wore an all-white outfit perfect for that tennis match she scheduled right after her set, and was backed, as usual, by full strings. The performance was so much better than her SNL take – though, no surprise there. She’s been steadily improving in her TV performances in the months since. Whatever your thoughts on LDR, it seems clear she’s an acquired taste live, and hey, we’re rooting for her. She received a warm reception and it was nice to see her happy and smiling.

Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine wanted some of that LDR spotlight, so last night he gave us his best Simon Cowell impression. On Hollie Cavanagh: she was “a sweet diva caught in the headlights.” On DeAndre Brackensick: too much frolicking and bopping around. On Joshua Ledet: gets in trouble with that “Darth Vader thing” when he sings too low. And finally, on Heejun Han’s antics: “a bad Adam Sandler movie.” Um, we saw Sandler’s Jack and Jill and would sooner sit through Heejun’s performance from last night on a two-hour loop than that travesty again.